Hydrostatic journal bearings typically comprise a pillow block or housing and a shaft, and means connecting the housing or shaft to a moving element which is to be guided or supported by the bearing. Such apparatus has been used in vibration testing equipment for a number of years. In a typical arrangement, the housing was connected to the slip plate or other workpiece and the shaft journaled in the housing was supported by stationary blocks affixed to a reference base.
As compared with past devices, the present apparatus provides higher static load capability, higher dynamic load capability, increased stroke length with no reduction and actually an increase in the oil film damped area for improved dynamic response at high frequencies of vibration, absence of internal oil flow porting of slip plates and its expense and potential for interfering with test article attachment, avoidance of external hoses between the oil supply and the slip plate/table interface to create the oil film, increased pitch, yaw and roll dynamic overturning moments, freedom from O-ring seals at the bearing housing slip/plate interface for oil feed so that minimum slip plate size is no longer a consideration, and ready alinement, adjustment and replacement of the apparatus.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide apparatus having the foregoing features.